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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — after costs
  4. rest — a break
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. game — a match
  22. chest — a box
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com